Temperature

Unlike during the Ravens' path to Super Bowl XLVII, the weather won't be a factor for the team in the big game Sunday. Partly, that's because of the Superdome's fixed roof, of course. But even outside the stadium, it will be perfect weather for tourists and fans eager to celebrate a Ravens win on Bourbon Street. Partly cloudy skies are in the forecast for New Orleans through the weekend, with highs in the mid-60s and lows in the 40s to around 50. No rain is in the forecast until early next week.

At least two cold-weather-related deaths were confirmed in the Baltimore area during last week's snap of frigid weather, and more dangerous cold is in the forecast. Hypothermia was a factor in the deaths of an elderly Baltimore County woman and an elderly Baltimore man during the week that ended Monday, according to a weekly report from state health officials. The total number of cold-weather-related deaths that state medical examiners have confirmed so far this winter has reached 14. Hypothermia occurs when body temperature drops below 95 degrees, causing vital organs to shut down.

Maryland is currently experiencing the coldest temperatures in nearly two years, with multiple days that have been well-below freezing ("Cold snap raises health concerns," Jan. 24.) As your article points out, our most vulnerable residents - the elderly and the homeless - are exposed to deadly conditions. We've already had 11 deaths so far linked to hypothermia, and that was before the most recent cold. What people may not realize is that many shelters offer resources for the homeless beyond a warm place to stay.

Patchy fog is possible for much of the day Tuesday in the Baltimore area, with temperatures reaching the upper 40s, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters expect foggy conditions, or at least mostly cloudy skies as a warm front stalls over the area. That could turn into drizzle by the evening hours and overnight. More rain is in the forecast Wednesday, as are even milder temperatures. Showers are possible throughout the day, with a chance of thunderstorms in the evening.

If temperatures surpass 60 degrees Wednesday, as forecast, it would be a fourth consecutive year that such a mild temperature had been recorded at BWI Marshall Airport. They could also rise above that mark Tuesday, earlier than expected. ( UPDATE : BWI reached 60 degrees by 1 p.m. Tuesday.) Here are some of the recent warm spells in January: January 2012 came amid the sixth-warmest winter on record at BWI, and thermometers reached 60 or higher four times. Twice the mercury reached 66 degrees.

After a sloppy start to the week, the sun will return to the Baltimore area briefly, as will higher temperatures peaking midweek. But it is not expected to last long, with the cold returning Thursday and Friday. "It's going to be quite a shift from last week," said Greg Schoor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sterling, Va. "It's what we say in the meteorology business is a 'dramatic pattern shift' — one extreme to another. " Rain showers were expected Monday afternoon with a slight chance of rain at night, less than a tenth of an inch possible and an overnight low around 38, according to the National Weather Service.

Swimmers at the MSP Polar Bear Plunge are in for a cold one. The event, to support Special Olympics Maryland, will take place at Sandy Point State Park, with plunges as early as 11 a.m. NOAA National Data Buoy Center 's buoy near Annapolis registers the water temperature at 35.5 degrees. The air temperature is expected to reach a high of 32, but it will feel more like 22 with the wind chill. The waves will be 2-3 feet near Sandy Point because of northwest winds of about 14 mph. Brave, warm-hearted plungers have another chance Feb. 23 at Deep Creek Lake.

A fourth consecutive day of sub-freezing temperatures is forecast in the Baltimore area Friday, with snow showers expected to snarl the afternoon commute, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures are expected to stay in the mid- to upper-20s throughout the day. Winds are forecast to be calmer than the past few days, with 5 mph breezes. Light, powdery snow is expected to start falling by the early afternoon, with 1-2 inches of accumulation through the evening. Nearly all of Maryland is under a winter weather advisory from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Snow accumulations of 1-3 inches are expected across the state, with the higher totals near the Mason-Dixon Line and in Southern Maryland, according to the advisory.

Another fast-moving dusting of snow could snarl the Friday evening commute, with a dangerous chill still not expected to lift until early next week. The cold snap has already contributed to some deaths, state health officials said, though an exact count wasn't available. An inch of snow that fell Thursday morning caused widespread crashes, and state highway officials are preparing for a similar situation Friday afternoon, though cautioned there is only so much they can do on crowded roadways and given the frigid weather.

The Baltimore City Health Department has issued a code blue cold weather alert for the rest of the week because of frigid temperatures with the potential to cause health problems, such as hypothermia. Under the alert, which runs through Sunday, city emergency shelters will extend hours and private shelters will be encouraged to do the same. Emergency workers will reach out to the homeless, elderly and other vulnerable residents to make sure they have shelter and heat. City health officials are also minding residents with a heart condition not to exert too much physical activity.